A couple questions for others who cut a lot of murrini on a diamond wet saw. Do you prefer a table type saw or one with the blade above the table?
Sliding table or stationary?
Do you have a preference for blade diameter?
I have been using an 8"table type wet saw and have never used one with the blade above the (sliding) table.

Wes Hunting

04-07-2012, 11:15 AM

I prefer the sliding table type over a chop saw. The table models seem to contain the water spray better. I've owned a few over the years, all different price ranges, but liked the cheapo Gemstone the best. 6" blade.
The problem I have with alot of tile saws is that the shaft sits to low under the carriage exposing only a couple inches of the blade.

Travis Frink

04-09-2012, 06:30 PM

Thanks Wes!

I checked put he Gemstone saws and liked that they looked solid and came without a motor so I could easily put one on that matches to local electric system. Do you recall what size motor you used? I saw units with 1/4-1/2HP motors with 1/4 being the recommended size from the sellers.

Wes Hunting

04-09-2012, 07:05 PM

Mine has a 1/4 hp motor which is plenty for cutting murrini. Make sure it has a 5/8 arbor. It will be easy to find different width blades for that size.

Travis Frink

05-18-2012, 10:38 AM

I thought I'd post a follow up on this.

After a lot of research I decided to get this MK-370exp (http://advanced.m.nextag.com/MK-Diamond-MK-370EXP-78819907/am/prices-html) 7" diamond saw. I disassembled, repackaged (in 2 smaller boxes) and brought it back to Japan on the plane with me on our recent family visit to the U.S.

It is a lot more than I really need for most of what I use it for which is mainly murrini but it should prove useful for a lot of other things in the future. We put it together and tried it out today and it seems well worth the trouble. I like that is light enough to be portable and will probably be used often at the shop of a good friend here who does some fused glass plates/slabs/sheets (2~3') that have proven rather troublesome to cut up til now because it was being done caveman style in a manner that would only invite well-deserved chastising here. The cuts we made today we were Clean and easy and I was cutting 1" murrini in slices 1/8" or less thick without much trouble or practice on this saw.

Although it is a little louder than I'd like i would recommend it or something like it as an option for somebody who doesn't need to cut work more than 1.5-2" thick. A 10" saw would have offered more but was more than twice the price and pretty large and I live in a small country now. And it can handle smaller blades (on an elevated platform) which are fine for smaller blades which are fine for some stuff, cheaper and appear to be less wobbly than larger blades of similar thickness that I have been using on another saw until now.

I use an MK101 (10" blade) one can cut up to 3-1/2" thickness. Great product, I have had it for years, and it has a lot of uses. The table moves. I can cut color, also cut facets on paperweights, and perfume bottles. I can get replacement blades at Home Depot.

Use ear protection, and also a respirator or dust mask (there is a lot of glass in that water mist that it put off).

Pete VanderLaan

05-18-2012, 05:13 PM

We have a really big (20") Felker with a sliding table and overhead movable blade and it is really nice. I recently bought a small saw with a stationary blade you move the work through and I can say that it is completely worthless. I am going to sell it to a tile person who doesn't care whether they do good work.

I did not want to get another saw but we need a really thin blade for Mary Beth's jewelry and that took a 5/8th arbor as opposed to the 1" one on the Felker. I have since found that I can have a one inch hole put in a thin blade.

Travis Frink

05-18-2012, 06:48 PM

Rosanna, Thanks for the tip on the ear protection. It is something that I have taken for granted after years of work in construction and my hearing has suffered- Gotta save what's left for whining children and rock concerts.

Matthew, I liked the MK101 better but it was a little big for our current situation which requires portability and storage- small country. The 370 was a compromise that is capable of cutting similar lateral dimensions if I remember.

Pete, I am sure you know this already but I learned from a previous thread I here that those arbor holed can be enlarged with a wire EDM machine (http://talk.craftweb.com/showthread.php?t=7719).
(which I had to look up as I couldn't remember the name in English). I ended up having someone at the tech college I was teaching at cut it for me with a laser which worked fine but ended up being a really tight fit.

Pete VanderLaan

05-18-2012, 07:03 PM

while you're protecting your ears, wear a respirator too. There is a lot of airborn lead and silicates coming up from color rods and cane.

Rosanna Gusler

05-18-2012, 07:36 PM

yep on the respirator. i cut a bunch of bottles about a month ago and i forgot. it was windy and i was outdoors and.....anyhow my lungs are pissed. just like when i nuked myself with ifb dust about 8 years ago and had really just gotten over that. guess i am in for another year or so of am 'gack attacks'. like my dh says..'you gonna be dumb, you better be tough'. rosanna

Pete VanderLaan

05-18-2012, 08:33 PM

your eyes won't like it either actually.

Travis Frink

05-19-2012, 06:24 AM

your eyes won't like it either actually.

Point taken on safety wear. I wear safety glasses and a paper mask when cutting and grinding. I would like to find a respirator that would fit but my very "large German" nose has meant that most I have tried don't fit. I would welcome any suggestions for one that would fit.

Rosanna Gusler

05-19-2012, 08:18 AM

3m makes great full face respirators. about 150$. of course one must actually put it on.... rosanna

Pete VanderLaan

05-19-2012, 12:14 PM

Point taken on safety wear. I wear safety glasses and a paper mask when cutting and grinding. I would like to find a respirator that would fit but my very "large German" nose has meant that most I have tried don't fit. I would welcome any suggestions for one that would fit.
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For the saw. I think that the heavy paper/cloth ones are probably just fine Travis. i would not use them in a batch mixing room though. I really hate full face ones. I just sweat really badly and then the alkaline stuff in the batch room mixes with the sweat eventually and it's really corrosive. Good ventilation is better.